Elevate Boxed Pancake Mix With One Addition That Might Not Be In The Directions

The whole point of pancake mixes is that they're dead easy to prepare, and for truly time- and energy-starved cooks, some products only require you to mix in water or milk to form the batter. The downside is that these ultra-simple mixes may lack a satisfying flavor and texture. To upgrade your instant flapjacks without spending much extra effort, reach for the humble egg.

Many pancake mixes already include powdered eggs, while others rely on rising agents like baking powder for a fluffy texture (this is why it's possible to make a stack of pancakes with no eggs). However, cracking a fresh egg into the batter is almost always a good idea, whether the product's instructions call for one or not. Eggs create a better structure in the finished flapjacks, and the fat in the yolk also enriches the batter, resulting in softer, less dry pancakes with a greater depth of flavor. Even mixes that already call for an egg might benefit from one more.

If you're willing to put in some elbow grease, take this tip you need to elevate boxed pancake mix even further by whipping the egg whites into a fluffy meringue. This works wonders for boxed flapjacks, as the tiny air bubbles trapped in the meringue help to raise the cakes. Whether you choose whole eggs or a meringue, keep a few tips in mind to ensure your pancakes turn out great.

Adding eggs to pancake mix can be as simple as combining them with the other ingredients and cooking the cakes as directed. But if your favorite mix produces a thin batter, try reducing the amount of liquid – whether it be water, milk, or buttermilk — to accommodate the extra water in the eggs. This ensures that the mixture won't wind up super runny. Also, don't get greedy and use more than one extra egg because incorporating too many can make the interior of the pancakes too custardy with an overpowering egg flavor.

Creating a perfectly stable, fluffy egg white foam for pancakes can seem daunting, but follow tips for bakery-worthy meringue and the process becomes easier. After separating the eggs, reserving the yolk for another purpose, mixing cream of tartar into the whites is always good to keep them from deflating. You should also stop whipping the foam every so often to check how far along it is, which helps you avoid overbeating, one of the most costly mistakes to make with meringue.

Once you have your foam, prepare the batter as directed, then fold in the meringue as gently as possible right before it's time to cook. You're only supposed to mix pancake batter until just combined, and that's doubly true here, as vigorous stirring will deflate those precious air bubbles. It's fine if small specks or streaks of egg white are visible in the mixture. From there, get to griddling your pancakes.